Antigen Monitoring System

Abstract

A method for detecting cancer levels in a human patient by monitoring antigen levels in the blood stream of the patient. Polysilicon mirrors are administrated into the blood stream of the b patient orally or by injection. Near infrared light is transmitted through the patient's skin and reflected by the mirrors to a detector that converts the light to a readable signal for calculating the cancer level based on the level of antigen markers in the patients blood stream.

1 . A method for monitoring an antigen level in a human subject, comprising:
 administering a multiplicity of photo reflective elements to said human subject, said photo reflective elements positioned randomly in the bloodstream of said human subject;   activating a representative number of said photo-reflective elements by placing an area of skin of the patient on a light-emitting sensor;   detecting light reflected through the skin of the subject from said photo-reflective elements; and   calculating an antigen level in the subject's blood stream based upon a level of light detected from said photo-reflective elements.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the intensity of light reflected from said photo-reflective elements varies according to the amount of antigen markers in the subject's blood. 
     
     
         3 . A method for monitoring an antigen level in a human subject, comprising:
 bio-conjugating a supply of derivatized photo-reflective, porous silicon mirrors;   administering a multiplicity of said silicon mirrors to said human subject, said silicon mirrors positioned randomly in the bloodstream of said human subject;   activating a representative number of said photo-reflective mirrors by placing an area of skin of the patient on a light-emitting sensor;   detecting light reflected through the skin of the subject from said photo-reflective mirrors; and   calculating an antigen level in the subject's blood stream based upon a level of light detected from said photo-reflective elements.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said bio-conjugating step is defined by replacing the hydrogen with a functional organic group capable of bonding to a cancer antigen molecule.
 The method of  claim 3  wherein said bonding step is achieved using a cross link. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said porous silicon mirrors are prepared using a pulsed etching in an HF electrolyte solution. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said administering step is further defined as oral administration using a capsule like container for the porous silicon mirrors. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said administering step is further defined as an injection into the bloodstream of said subject. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said photo-reflective elements are defined as poly-silicon mirrors. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said poly-silicon mirrors are biodegradable. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said light emitting sensor is a retro-reflective photoelectric sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2  wherein light from said light sensor is near infrared. 
     
     
         12 . A method for detecting or monitoring cancer in a subject, comprising:
 administering polysilicon mirrors to random locations within the bloodstream of a subject orally or by injection;   transmitting near infrared light through the subject's skin;   detecting light which is reflected from the polysilicon mirrors in the blood stream though the subject's skin;   converting received light into a digital signal; and   calculating an antigen level in the subject's blood from the digital signal.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein differences in the antigen level in a subject's blood are determined based on previously stored measurements compared with currently taken measurements. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the level of CEA is transmitted to a third party. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the level of CEA is transmitted to the third party via an Internet.